Merchandise is commonly distributed through networked computer systems. For example, a user can purchase a copy of or access to an article, a magazine, a book, a film, a sound recording, a software product, or a database through a networked computer system. These types of merchandise are sometimes referred to as intellectual property because their value is in the content of the merchandise as opposed to the physical merchandise itself.
After purchasing and using merchandise, the user may not wish to keep a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system. If the merchandise requires a relatively small amount of storage space (e.g., an article), the user may not mind keeping a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system. If the merchandise requires a relatively large amount of storage space (e.g., a film or a software product), the user may not wish to keep a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system.
The user may wish, however, to later use the same merchandise. If the user is forced to repurchase the merchandise at its full price in order to reuse the merchandise, the user may decide to keep a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system after the original purchase (even though the user does not wish to do so). If the user could repurchase the merchandise at a reduced price, the user may decide to not keep a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system and to later repurchase the merchandise when the user desires to reuse it.
As a result, a system which allows users to repurchase merchandise at a reduced price is desirable to the user. Such a system is also desirable to the vendor. One reason why such a system is desirable to the vendor is that it encourages users to repurchase merchandise instead of keeping a copy of the merchandise on the user's computer system. If the user does not keep a copy of the merchandise, there is less chance that the merchandise will be copied by third parties (which would result in a total loss of revenue for the vendor). Another reason why such a system is desirable to the vendor is that the vendor receives additional revenue from the resale of the merchandise to the user.
Even though such a system is desirable to the vendor, there must be an efficient method for regulating the repurchase in order to make the system feasible for the vendor. One possible solution is for the vendor to maintain a database including information regarding each purchase of merchandise, such as the name of the purchaser and the merchandise that was purchased. For privacy reasons, this solution is not desirable. Therefore, a need exists for a method and system for regulating discounts on merchandise distributed through networked computer systems.